Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

J. BRADFORD, Jr. THLL GOUPLING. No. 476,443. Patented June 7, 1892.

Nrrn STATES Arent JOHN BRADFORD, JR., OF YVINSLOIV, ILLINOIS.

TH LL-COU PLI NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,443, dated June 7,1892.

Application iiled October l0, 1891. Serial No, 408,347. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BRADFORD, Jr., a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at -Winslow, in the county of Stephenson and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThill-Oouplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplers, and is fullydescribed and explained in this specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved thill-coupler in operative position upon an axle. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a top plan of thesame.

In the views,A is an axle of ordinaryform, B the clip encircling thesame, and C the plate lying beneath axle and receiving the ends of theclip, which are secured by suitable nuts in the ordinary manner. Theplate O has a horizontal extension C lying in front of the axle, andthis extension terminates in two rearwardly-open hooks C2, separated bya space of sutcient width to receive a thilliron D, adapted to befastened to a thill in the usual way. Upon the end of this thilliron isintegrally formed a transverse pin D', of such length and diameter as toengage both the hooks C2 and receive the strain brought upon the thillsas the vehicle to which they belong is drawn forward. The pin Dis heldin place by means of a swinging button E, held in place by a bolt madeup of two parts F F', Fig. 2, preferably of different diameters, theupper and slenderer part of the bolt being seated in the button and thelower and heavier portion being seated in a slot s in the extension C ofthe plate O for the purpose of fastening the button adjustably on theplate. Between the two parts F F of the bolt is a head H, of greaterdiameter than the width of the slot. This head rests upon the uppersurface of the plate, and nuts N N engage the lower end of the bolt andfasten it securely in any desired position, the plate being clampedbetween the nut N and the head H. On the upper end of the part F of thebolt is a nut N2, holding the button E in place and preventing itsaccidental escape. By means of the head H any desired clamping force maybe brought upon the plate extension C for the purpose of holding thepivot securely in place without unduly clamping the button, andthelatter is thereby enabled to turn freely upon its pivot, no matterhow firmly the nuts N N may be set against the lower face of the plate.

Upon the button E is a spring S, fastened at its rear end to the buttonby means of screws, the position and shape of the spring being such thatits free front end lies between the points ot' the two hooks C2 C2 andextends vsubstantially across the space which separates them. The freeend of the spring is turned up, as shown in Figs. l and 2, in such a waythat when in its normal position it prevents the swinging of the buttonin eitherdirection; but the end of the spring may be easily pusheddownward until it comes below the ends of the hooks, when the button maybe readily swung to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,thereby permitting the disengagement of the pin D from the hooks and thedetachment of the thill from the axle and its attachments.

The operation of this device, which is sufficiently evident from thedrawings and the description, may be brieliy stated as follows: When thethill is separate from the vehicle, the button being swung' into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the pin D is inserted in thehooks and drawn forward until it is pressed closely against them, andthe button is then swung to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.As the button passes under the hook on the side from which it is movedthe free end of the spring S is pressed downward; but as soon as thebutton reaches the position shown in Fig. 3 the end of the spring fliesup to its normal position and locks the button in place, therebysecuring the button against accidental turning and the thill againstaccidental detachment. The thill may be removed by reversing thisprocess in a manner which is perfectly evident.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim asnew,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a thill-coupler, the combination, with an aXle-clp and a platefastened thereto and provided at its front end with rearwardly-openhooks separated by a suitable space, of a thilliron provided at its rearend with a transverse pin adapted to engage said hooks,alatemily-swinging button pivoted to the plate and adapted to lock thepin in place, and a spring fastened to the button and adapted when thebutton is in working position to lie between the hooks of the plate andprevent accidental rotation of the button, but to be pressed downwardand passed under the point of one of said hooks as the button is swung,`out of working position, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the plate C C', provided with the hooks C2, ofthe tbill-iron D, having the transverse pin D', adapted to en gage saidhooks, thelaterally-swinging button E, pivoted to the plate and adaptedto lock the pin in place, and the spring S, fastened to the bntten andhaving a free npturned Yend adapted to lie between said hooksand preventaccidental rotation of the button or to be pressed downward and passedunder tliepointof one of saidhoeks,substantially as shown and described.

3. The Combination, with the plate provided with hooks C2, of thethill-iron D, having' the pin D', the button E, and the bolt made up oftwo parts F F', separated by a head H, the part of the bolt below thehead being passed through the plate and both ends of the bolt beingprovided with nuts for the purpose, respectively, of locking the bolt tothe plate and locking the button to the bolt, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. The combination, with the plate C C', provided with hooks C2 andhaving a slot s, of the thill-iron D, having the pin D,thebut ton E,pivoted to the plate by a bolt passing through and adjustable in theslot s, and the nuts N N N2, securing the bolt in the slot and securingthe button upon the bolt, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN BRADFORD, JR.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. GAGE, l. V. GAGE.

